Monkey See Monkey Do: Geladas Mimic Faces

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The ability to mimic the facial expressions of others is thought
to be linked to empathy. It's known that humans and orangutans
"ape" each other in this way, but gelada monkeys appear to do it
too, a new study shows.

The phenomenon, known as
rapid facial mimicry, is an unconscious response that occurs
when two animals are interacting. Researchers showed that geladas
(Theropithecus gelada), a type of Old World monkey, show
facial mimicry during play — particularly mother-infant pairs.
The curious ability may have a common evolutionary root among
primates, the researchers say.

"This mimicry relates to an internal emotional connection," said
neuroscientist Pier Francesco Ferrari of the University of Parma
in Italy, who co-authored the study published March 28 in the
journal Scientific Reports. It shows that "basic forms of
empathy are present in other species that are not apes,"
Ferrari told LiveScience.

The researchers observed adult and baby geladas at a zoo in
Germany during playful interactions. They recorded the play
sessions on camera, noting whether the animals imitated each
other's facial expressions. Facial expressions included the "play
face," (an open mouth with only the lower teeth exposed), the
"full play face" (lips pulled back to expose the upper and lower
teeth and gums) and "lip-smacking" (lips smacked together,
sometimes with the tongue extended). The play faces are
considered the equivalent of laughter in humans, whereas
lip-smacking can have different meanings depending on the
context. [ Image
Gallery: Cute Gelada Monkeys ]

The
geladas mimicked each other's play faces and the full
play faces, but not the lip-smacking. Furthermore, mother-infant
pairs engaged in the behavior most, and were also fastest at it.
The findings show that the mimicking behavior seen in humans and
apes has a counterpart in monkeys. In addition, the similarities
between mother-baby interactions in these species suggest a
common evolutionary origin.

Rapid facial mimicry is thought to arise from brain areas linking
perception and actions. Scientists studying monkeys have found
evidence of brain cells known as
mirror neurons, which are active both when an animal performs
an action and when it watches another animal doing it. In humans,
this mirroring may be implicated in empathy, the researchers say.

Neuroscientist Marco Iacoboni of the medical school at UCLA said
he found the study's results compelling. "We thought for many
years that empathy is a human accomplishment, something we came
up with that distinguishes us from other species," Iacoboni told
LiveScience in an email. "Yet, the more we dig into the animal
kingdom, the more we see evidence for empathy, or at least its
evolutionary precursors and/or behavioral correlates, where we
did not expect to find it."